


Five Times Peter Parker and Wade Wilson Crossed Paths By Accident

by Alyx17



Category: Deadpool (2016), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Deadpool being Deadpool, Post-Civil War (Marvel), Post-Deadpool (2016), Post-Spider-Man: Homecoming, The Author Regrets Nothing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-12
Updated: 2018-01-06
Packaged: 2018-12-26 19:39:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 17,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12065673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alyx17/pseuds/Alyx17
Summary: And the one time it was on purpose.Takes place after Spider-Man:Homecoming and Deadpool (2016).





	1. Chapter 1

With vigilantes and Avengers scuttling around like overpowered roaches, Wade knew better than to accept bounties in New York anymore. Unfortunately for him, the price on this particular head was too damn high to turn down. They called him the Punisher, and he was mowing down bad guys like it was going out of style. Personally, Wade admired his sharp shooting and ruthlessness, but as a merc, it wasn’t up to him to pick and choose the targets. If he didn’t kill this guy, someone else would, and that someone else would be substantially richer.

 

Wade lurked behind a building to watch the Punisher’s latest massacre. The dude seemed more than a little unhinged. Wade could relate. Finally, the Punisher finished off the last of the mobsters he’d ambushed. Wade grinned, removing the MP5K from his duffle bag and lining the retreating back of the Punisher up in his sights. He cocked the gun, calibrating for a headshot.

 

All of a sudden, a blur of red and blue blocked his target. “What the--?” Wade looked up. _Fuck. Spider-Man. Of all the days…_

 

Like most of New York, Wade had watched the career of Queens’s masked vigilante unfold on YouTube. The cringe worthy notes he left at crime scenes read like a boy scout manifesto, but Wade had to admit that the kid’s powers were impressive. 

 

Now, Spider-Man was looming over him. Wade could practically feel waves of righteous hostility radiating from him. “What are you doing?”

 

“I’m _trying_ to shoot someone, sweetheart. If you could move just a little to your left…”

 

Spider-Man didn’t move. He crossed his arms. “You’re not going to shoot anyone.”

 

Wade peered around the kid and noticed with frustration that the Punisher had disappeared. “Well I’m not _now!_ God damn. Do you know how long I’ve been following that guy around?!”

 

Spider-Man didn’t respond to that. Wade groaned, packing the gun back into his duffel bag with the air of a martyr. He slung the bag over his shoulder, checking his watch. Maybe if he moved quickly he could still catch up to the Punisher…he had good intel about his next target.

 

Wade had started to walk away when Spider-Man caught his arm. Even seeing the YouTube videos, Wade was caught off guard by the strength of his grip. “You think I’m just going to let you go after you tried to _murder_ someone right in front of me?!”

 

Wade stopped, cocking his head. Was this kid for real? He chuckled. “Look, shortstop, that guy is a _wanted felon_ , so really I’m kind of doing your job for you… You’re welcome, by the way. Now, why don’t you run along to do your homework and leave this to the adult?”

 

Spider-Man tightened his grip. Wade sighed. His window of opportunity to catch the Punisher was rapidly closing. He didn’t _want_ to hurt the kid, but… c’est la vie. Wade geared up, throwing a right hook.

 

Impossibly fast, Spider-Man caught Wade’s fist in his hand. Wade blinked. “Shit. Nice reflexes. Did you fall in a vat of toxic waste or something?”

 

“Something like that,” the kid deadpanned. He shoved Wade back, toppling him to the ground. Next thing Wade knew, his duffel bag was webbed to the sidewalk.

 

Spider-Man raised his other arm to web Wade up beside his duffel bag but Wade was too quick. He managed to surprise the kid by sweeping his legs out from under him, buying him just enough time to unsheathe his katanas as Spider-Man scrambled back to his feet. Wade began to hack at the webbing around his duffel bag, cursing under his breath.

 

The kid shot another web at him, encasing his swords, but Wade tugged and sliced through it. He swiped at Spider Man with a sword, which the kid easily ducked, delivering a powerful punch to Wade’s face.

 

_Ow._ The kid really _was_ strong. And yet, he could sense that if he’d wanted to he could have hit harder. The kid was actually _pulling his punches._ Wade couldn’t remember the last time he’d fought with someone who held back like that. _What a cinnamon roll._

 

Spider-Man’s restraint had no effect whatsoever on Wade’s lack thereof. Wade wasn’t pulling his punches at all, but it was rare that he landed one. Soon, the two were panting in exhaustion as the fight escalated.

 

Wade was at the point of abandoning his duffel bag for a last ditch effort to catch up to the Punisher when the sounds of machine gunfire rent the air. _Damn._ _He must have reached his next target already._

 

Seeming to decide that the gunfire presented a larger threat to the public than Wade, Spider- Man abandoned their fight and took off in the direction of the sound. Wade finished the painstaking task of freeing his duffel bag from the web, snatched it up, and took off after the kid.

 

“No fair! I’ve got dibs!”

 

Spider-Man didn’t respond, picking up his pace. The two of them arrived on the scene of the Punisher’s latest slaughter. It was a tavern, one that Wade knew was often frequented by members of the newest crime syndicate that had rolled into town. They called themselves the Elite. _Stupid name._

Bodies were scattered throughout the bar, coated in broken glass and plaster. Wade looked around for the Punisher but he seemed to have already taken off. He cursed. Spider-Man trudged into the building, and Wade saw him kneeling by one of the bodies.

 

“Oh, Jesus, you’re not a necrophiliac are you?” Wade asked.

 

Spider-Man wasn’t listening. “He’s alive!”

 

“Does that ruin it for you?”

 

“Call an ambulance!”

 

“Seriously?”

 

The kid was now, Wade observed, putting pressure on the not-dead man’s abdomen, keeping him from bleeding out. His voice was higher-pitched, frightened, as he said “Yes, seriously! He’s _dying_!”

 

Wade sighed, rolling his eyes. “Alright, alright…” He dug his phone out of the duffel bag at a leisurely pace, dialing 9-1-1. 

“9-1-1, what’s your emergency?”

 

“I’m not actually sure this qualifies as an emergency, but there are a bunch of dead guys in the Tavern on 9th and Richmond.”

 

“Deadpool!” Spider-Man yelled.

 

“Oh yeah, and one not-so-dead one.”

 

“An ambulance will be dispatched. Please stay on the—“

 

Wade hung up. “There. That’s my good deed for the year.”

 

Spider-Man ignored him, turning his attention back to the dying man. “Can you hear me?” He was checking the man’s neck for a pulse.

 

Out of the corner of his eye, Wade thought he noticed someone standing at the top of the nearest apartment complex, but when he turned there was no one there. He didn’t imagine that the Punisher would stick around, but maybe just in case…

 

With a backwards glance at the young vigilante and the bleeding mobster, Wade took off toward the apartment.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A hostage situation causes Peter and Wade to cross paths a second time.

After the third missed call from Weasel, Wade decided he’d better see what was up. He grudgingly abandoned sulking in his apartment, donned some suitable clothes, and headed for Sister Margaret’s. _Fuck that stupid kid. I should be swimming in cash right now._ The Punisher’s escape still stung his bruised ego. Wade had spent a good half an hour searching the apartment building next to the tavern, only to finally call it quits as the cops started poking around.

 

Wade nodded to Sister Margaret’s expressionless bouncer, heading for the bar and Weasel who was half-heartedly polishing a filthy glass.

 

“I know I’m not pretty anymore but do you _have_ to look at me like that?”

 

Weasel _did_ look unnerved. “Wade. Thank Christ. Is Vanessa working tonight?”

 

Wade’s eyes narrowed. “Yeah... why?”

 

Weasel swallowed. “That Malcolm guy, you know… the new one.”

 

Wade did know. Malcolm was one of the new mercenaries frequenting Sister Margaret’s. Not one of the patrons of the establishment was a saint, but Malcolm was brutal even for a merc. He didn’t seem to care how many people got caught in the crossfire when he was taking out a target. Hardly anyone knew a thing about him, but Wade was pretty sure he was a sociopath. It took one to know one.

 

Weasel cleared his throat. “Malcolm took a new hit, one that was posted earlier today… and… I only just now checked it because something seemed off. Some rich lady put it out on a girl named Chastity.”

 

Wade raised an eyebrow.

 

“That’s her stripper name, anyway. Apparently she’s been banging rich lady’s husband.”

 

“So?”

 

“ _So_ , Chastity’s real name is Monique Gray.”

 

_Vanessa’s co-worker._ “ _Shit_. Are you sure?”

 

 Weasel nodded helplessly.

 

***

Peter swung towards the club on 8th, responding to the police scanner description of a hostage situation taking place inside. He moved as quickly as he dared, perching on a nearby office building to assess the situation. Dimly, he registered that it was a strip club. “Karen, what’s happening?”

 

Karen enhanced his audio and visual feeds. He saw a stocky man with a pistol holding a young woman in front of him by her hair, a gun to her head. He was shouting. “Bring her to me now, or I’ll kill every last one of you, starting with her!”

 

Five other women dressed in similarly skimpy outfits cowered on the floor at the gunman’s feet along with two bartenders and several male customers.

 

“I mean it! I’ll kill her!” The man pushed the gun closer to the woman’s skull. “Where is Monique Gray?”

 

The police still hadn’t arrived, and Peter could take it no longer. With considerable force, he approached the club and launched himself through one of the windows closest to the gunman, skidding to a halt in the shower of broken glass. His entrance earned screams from several of the occupants.

 

“Hey! If you’re going to threaten someone with that gun, how about the guy that’s about to hand you over to the cops?” Peter shouted.

 

The man’s eyes widened. He turned towards Peter.

 

Before Peter could react, the woman threatened with the gun took advantage of the distraction and made a lunge for the weapon. The gunman dodged her, slamming the gun into her face. As she fell to the floor, the other occupants of the club screamed again.

 

Peter sprang into action, webbing the gun and pulling it from the man’s hands. He moved across the room, incapacitating the gunman with a series of blows while easily dodging his retaliations and webbing him to the floor.   

 

Peter approached the injured woman. A large bruise was blooming on her face and she was clearly disoriented but still conscious. Peter knelt at her side. “Are you alright?” With apparent effort, she focused her eyes on his face, nodding slowly.

 

“Is anyone else hurt?” Peter asked, addressing the dumbfounded occupants of the club. No one responded. Peter gestured urgently towards the exits. “Go on! The police are on their way!” The hostages scrambled to their feet, scattering towards the exit.

 

Peter returned to the injured woman. She was sitting upright but shaking violently. Peter cast his eyes around, spotting a woman’s jacket on a nearby chair.

 

***

 

The distance from Sister Margaret’s to Vanessa’s club had never seemed so far to Wade. His heart was in his throat. He arrived on the scene to see people fleeing the club, being received by a bewildered SWAT team. Wade scanned the exiting crowd desperately, his heart hammering a little louder at the sight of every face that wasn’t Vanessa’s. Pushing people aside and ignoring their shouts of protest, Wade strode into the club. Panic and fury were coursing through him in in such equal measures that he didn’t register them as separate entities. He burst through the door of the club, greeted by the sight of Vanessa, clearly hurt but alive. Spider-Man was there, and between the sight of Malcolm webbed to the floor and the fleeing hostages, Wade was able to piece together the rest.

 

Transfixed by his relief, Wade watched as Spider-Man gently draped a jacket around Vanessa’s shaking shoulders. “Can you stand?” he asked. Vanessa hesitated, then shook her head. Wade registered the blood coursing from her nose and the mottled bruising on her face.

 

“Is it okay if I help you?” Wade heard him ask. Vanessa nodded. Spider-Man hesitated, then placed an arm around her upper back and one under her legs, gathering her up and standing easily. Vanessa wearily put her head down on the kid’s chest.

 

“Hey, don’t go to sleep, okay? We need to get you to a hospital.”

 

The stunned paralysis afflicting wade suddenly lifted at those words. He cleared his throat loudly. “I can handle that,” he said.

 

Spider-Man looked up, clearly surprised. “Deadpool,” he said carefully. He tightened his hold slightly on Vanessa. Wade raised an eyebrow, then realized that the kid was clearly hesitant to give Vanessa to him. “What are you doing here?” Spider-Man asked.

 

“I’m here for her.”

 

The kid turned away from him. “She’s hurt,” he said coldly. “Find a different club.”

 

Wade tensed. “Jesus, kid, how fucked up do you think I am? She’s my girlfriend.”

 

Spider-Man froze. “Your--?”

 

“Wade?” croaked Vanessa. Spider-Man looked down at her in surprise. Wade approached, holding out his arms for her.

 

Spider-Man cocked his head. “Wade?” he asked.

 

Wade sighed, but nodded. “Wilson. Wade Wilson.”

 

“It’s okay,” muttered Vanessa. “He’s m-my boyfriend.”

 

Spider-Man was clearly flustered. “I-I… I’m so sorry,” he said weakly. He approached Wade, carefully depositing Vanessa into his open arms.

 

“Wait,” said Vanessa. “Monique.”

 

Wade looked at her. “The one Malcolm was after?”

 

Vanessa nodded. “I told her to hide.”

 

Wade sighed heavily. “Of course you did. Where is she?”

 

“Storage closet. In one of the bigger boxes. I told her not to move until I came for her…”

 

Wade looked to Spider-Man. “I’m taking her to the hospital. Can you--?”

 

Spider-Man nodded and turned away, heading in the direction Vanessa had indicated for the storage closet.

 

“Hey, kid,” said Wade suddenly.

 

Spider-Man turned back to look at him. “Yeah?”

 

He gestured to Vanessa, who had already put her head down again. “Thank you.”

 

Spider-Man nodded.

 

“No seriously, I mean it.”

 

The kid nodded again. Wade left for the hospital.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think! :) I love reading your comments!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter and Wade cross paths when Peter least expects it.

Every once in a while at Sister Margaret’s, a hit was ordered by someone who was clearly underage. Most of the mercenaries wouldn’t touch those with a ten-foot pole, but Wade had a soft spot for kids. As Weasel often pointed out, Wade was pretty warm-blooded for a merc.

 

Aside from the occasional teenage request for assassination (which Wade avoided on principle), the “hits” usually equated to pleas for help with a bully or a stalker. Things kids didn’t want to go to their parents or school about but were desperate enough to turn to Sister Margaret’s for.

 

The latest of such hits involved a kid who, Weasel informed him, tearfully reported being ostracized and humiliated by a high school bully.

 

“Seriously, Wade, it was sad. Kid’s a serious geek. Sounds like the bullying is all verbal, though. You _that_ warm-blooded yet?”

 

Wade just grunted non-committedly.

 

“Shit, I forgot to ask. How’s Vanessa?”

 

“She’s alright. Mild concussion.”

 

“Good thing that spider guy was there, huh?”

 

“Yeah,” said Wade. “Except that he beat me to Malcolm so I couldn’t gut him like a fish,” he added bitterly.

 

Weasel shrugged in a commiserating way. “All I know is, he’d better keep Sister Margaret’s out of his fucking mouth when the cops are questioning him.”

 

Wade nodded emphatically, downing the remainder of his beer. He headed for the door.

 

“You’re taking that hit, aren’t you?” Weasel called after him.

 

Wade didn’t answer.

 

***

Peter trudged half-asleep to Academic Decathlon practice. It had been a late night for him on patrol, but he knew that Michelle would murder him if he missed another meeting. Hazily he was aware of Flash shoving him aside. Flash was heading for Clay, another kid on their Decathlon team who’d performed well at the last two competitions. Peter’s brow furrowed.

 

“You’re a loser, Clay!” yelled Flash to the laughter of his buddies. “Or should I say, _Gay_?”

 

Clay flushed, his head down. Peter’s hands balled into fists. Suddenly, Michelle appeared around the corner, crossing her arms. “One more crack like that, Flash, and you’re off the team.”

 

“Aww, we’re just kidding around, aren’t we boys?”

 

The other kids nodded, still sniggering.

 

“It’s _not_ funny,” said Michelle crisply. “Maybe if you spent more time focusing on the decathlon and less time messing with people you’d be on the team instead of an alternate.”

 

That shut Flash up at once.

“Practice starts in ten minutes. You’d better be on time.” Michelle marched off to the auditorium as Flash and his friends dissipated.

 

Clay lingered outside the auditorium, looking upset. Peter approached. “Hey, man,” he said. “Don’t let Flash bother you. He’s just jealous because of how well you did at the last two competitions.”

 

Clay nodded half-heartedly, looking up. “He messes with you too, doesn’t he?”

 

“I mean, yeah,” said Peter, shrugging. “If you count something as unoriginal as calling me ‘Penis Parker’ messing with me. Flash is mostly talk.”

 

Clay didn’t say anything. Peter was alarmed to see that his eyes were brimming with tears. “How do you stand it?”

 

Peter shifted uncomfortably. Sure, Flash bothered him sometimes. But he had Ned and Aunt May. He was Spider-Man. It occurred to him that maybe Clay didn’t have anything like that. Now that he thought of it, he couldn’t remember if he’d ever seen Clay with a friend before.

“I—“

 

“Guys, come on! Practice is starting,” said Michelle impatiently. Clay shook his head as if to clear it, stepping into the room after her. Peter followed.

 

Michelle stood at the podium. “Today, we’ll be—“

 

Mr. Harrington interrupted. “We’re missing someone.”

 

Michelle scanned the room. “Flash?”

 

“He said he was coming,” piped up a girl.

 

Michelle sighed dramatically. “We’ll start without him.”

 

The team was having a good practice. Clay seemed to have calmed a little in the absence of Flash and was answering questions with his usual gusto.

 

“What is the approximate distance between the sun and the Earth?” asked Michelle.

 

Peter opened his mouth to answer but was beaten to it by Clay. “93 million miles!”

 

Peter gave him a grin and a thumbs up that he returned hesitantly as Michelle nodded her approval. “Looking good guys. Take ten minutes.”

 

Peter stepped down from the stage but was pulled immediately aside by Michelle. “Hey, Flash still isn’t here,” she said irritably. “Can you go check on him? Mr. Harrington keeps asking me where he went.”

 

Peter started to argue but sighed in resignation. “Yeah, okay.”

 

Peter headed towards the junior locker bay, and was looking around for Flash when his spider sense panged dangerously. His heart rate sky-rocketed as he heard a commotion from the next hallway. Turning the corner, he froze.

 

_Wade._

 

Peter gaped wordlessly at the sight of the masked merc in his high school. He heard muffled screaming and registered that it was coming from the locker immediately in front of Wade.

 

Seeming not to notice Peter, Wade beat the locker with his fist. “Keep away from Clay Horton, or I swear to God, this afternoon is going to seem like a picnic.”

 

There was an answering whimper from the locker.

 

“Didn’t hear you,” said Wade mockingly. “If I catch even a _hint_ that you’ve been within a 10-foot radius of Horton, I’m going to be shipping you to your parents’ house in pieces.”

 

Suddenly, Peter realized whose locker Wade was standing at. _Flash._

“I’m going to need some verbal confirmation that you understand me,” said Wade dangerously.

 

“Y-yes, sir,” Flash croaked from inside the locker.

 

“Good,” said Wade evenly. “Then we’re done here. I’m sure someone will be along to let you out eventually if you keep sniveling like that.”

 

Wade gave the locker a final slam, then turned and walked out the side doors of the school into the parking lot. Peter followed. “Hey!”

 

Wade turned slowly.

 

“Wh-what did you do to him?” asked Peter. “Who sent you here?”

 

Wade cocked his head. “He’s _fine._ Stuck his head down a toilet and flushed it, then shoved him in his own locker. You know, the usual high school stuff. Don’t tell me that little asshole is your friend, or I’ll shove you into that locker with him.”

 

Peter shook his head. “No, that’s not... did Clay send you?”

 

Wade crossed his arms. “Seems like you already know the answer to that.”

 

Peter looked at his feet. He felt terrible. All this time, Clay _had_ been deeply bothered by Flash. Bothered enough to get someone like _Deadpool_ involved. What was the point of being Spider-Man if he hadn’t even tried to help someone who needed it right in his own school? Peter had assumed that Clay was fine, even after he witnessed Flash humiliating him… he felt sickened by himself. He might disagree with Wade’s methods, but… at least Wade had done something.

 

“Are you having some kind of teenage crisis?” Wade asked sarcastically.

 

Peter looked up at him. “N-no. Is… is Clay okay?”

 

“Probably not. I don’t know. I just go where I’m sent.” Suddenly, Wade tensed. “Hey… your voice sounds _really_ familiar. Do I know you from somewhere?”

 

Peter flushed, backing away. “No.”

 

“Yeah, I do… shit, where do I know you from?”

 

“Nowhere.”

 

Wade paused. Then, “I didn’t think you were _this_ young. Jesus.”

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

 

Deadpool was silent for a while, looking him over. “What’s your name, kid?”

 

Peter hesitated, then sighed heavily. “Peter. Peter Parker.”

 

“Well, Peter, don’t worry. Your secret is safe with me. I owe you one… for Vanessa.”

 

Peter bit his lip. Then, abandoning all pretense, he asked “How is she?”

 

“She’s fine. Thanks to you.”

 

Peter gave him a sheepish grin. “Sorry I didn’t believe that you were there to help her.”

 

“Eh, it’s cool. I literally kill people for a living, so.”

 

Peter crossed his arms. “That really isn’t—“

 

“Yeah, yeah, save me the lecture. I’m out.” Deadpool waved, taking off towards the main road. Peter watched him go with a feeling of apprehension, then turned begrudgingly back towards the school to let Flash out of his locker.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, thanks for your comments/kudos! Please let me know if you like the chapter/suggestions for future path crossings. :)


	4. Chapter 4

It had been months since the “hit” that Wade had put out on Flash. Things were a bit slow around Sister Margaret’s, but that wasn’t unusual. Hits often came in waves.

 

Wade was stumbling home from Sister Margaret’s moderately intoxicated. He stopped abruptly as he arrived at his apartment complex to see a cluster of neighbors (whom he did his best to avoid) gathered around outside.

 

“What’s going on here?” asked Wade with a slight slur.

 

A nosy older woman named Mabel who lived two floors above him sniffed impatiently, clutching her tabby cat closer to her chest as if frightened Wade might try to steal it. She pointed upwards.

 

Wade followed her gesture and saw a young woman perched on the window sill of her ninth story apartment. He cursed under his breath. “Is that Alice? Why is everyone just standing around?”

 

Mabel narrowed her eyes at him. “We called the police.”

 

“And now you’re staying for the show,” Wade said in a disgusted tone.

 

Mabel just shrugged. “I don’t see you doing anything.”

 

“She might not jump if she sees us in the way,” piped up Lawrence, a pothead who lived across the hall from Wade and Vanessa.

 

“Yeah, Lawrence, I’m sure _you_ standing here will bring her to her senses,” said Wade, rolling his eyes.

 

Lawrence’s scrawny girlfriend opened her mouth. “I’m going to try and talk to her.”

 

“Don’t,” said Mabel sharply. “You’ll spook her into jumping.”

 

“Look,” said Wade. “This is—“

 

A sudden collective gasp from his neighbors made him look up again, stopping mid-sentence. At first, he thought Alice had jumped, but soon realized that his neighbors were reacting to the presence of Spider-Man who was joining the crowd. “Excuse me, folks, please clear the area,” said the kid in what Wade amusedly noted was a deepened voice.

 

“Hey, Spider-Man, you taking steroids or something? What’s with the gravel voice all of a sudden?” Wade snickered.

 

The kid whirled towards him in surprise, clearly on edge. “Wh-what?”

 

“You mean you don’t recognize me?”

 

“Wade?” he asked hesitantly.

 

“Yup. Now that you’ve seen this mug, I’m sure no further explanation is needed for my mask.”

 

Peter gave what resembled a nervous chuckle. He looked up at Alice as if gathering his resolve. He took a deep breath. “Do you know her?” he asked softly.

 

Wade shook his head. “Not really. I’ve bumped into her a few times. I’m pretty sure her name is Alice.”

 

Peter just nodded. “Back up, okay?”

 

Wade raised his eyebrows but did as the kid asked, joining his neighbors as they recongregated on the sidewalk across the street.

 

***

 

Peter started to climb the building, his brow beading with nervous sweat. The last thing he wanted to do was scare the woman into jumping. Finally, as he neared her, he took a gamble on calling out to her. “Alice?”

 

The girl took a sharp intake of breath, finally noticing him. “Don’t come any closer!” she shrieked, sliding slightly further out of the window.

 

Peter stopped abruptly. His heart was hammering in his chest. “H-Hey! It’s alright, it’s okay. I’m here to help you!” 

 

Alice was sobbing. Peter sized up the distance between them, calculating how long it would take to reach her. He _could_ try to get closer to her, but if that prompted her to jump he wouldn’t be able to double back and catch her before she hit the ground. Maybe it was best to stay where he was… Could he shoot a web at her, maybe? Trap her there on the window sill?

 

Peter was interrupted in these contemplations by the sound of police sirens. He turned as two officers exited a cop car holding megaphones. “Spider-Man,” one shouted. “Return to the ground immediately or—“

 

The man never finished his sentence. Peter’s spider sense went haywire as the watching crowd below screamed. He turned.  Alice had jumped.

 

“NO!” Peter shouted. She’d already passed him, plummeting towards the ground. He released his hold on the wall, falling head-first after her, reaching out his hand. Realizing that he wasn’t going to reach her in time, he shot out a web, securing himself to the top of the building. He shot a second web after Alice, which attached to the front of her shirt. He gave a mighty pull, but not in time. Not before Alice hit the ground with a terrible and sickening thud. Blood began to pool under her head.

 

Peter couldn’t move. He couldn’t breathe. It had all happened so fast. He released the web attached to Alice and hung from the apartment building in complete disbelief. A terrible crushing sensation began to fill his lungs, his brain... The police rushed forward, and an ambulance arrived on the scene.  Numbly, Peter descended, pushing his way through the gathering crowd towards Alice.

 

One of the cops pulled a gun on him. “Get away,” he snarled. “You’ve done enough.”

 

Peter raised his hands, backing slowly away. He wanted to say something, to do something. His heart was hammering against his ribcage and vomit was rising in his throat. _No … she’s not dead… please… don’t let her be dead…_

 

Satisfied with Peter’s retreat, the cop returned his gun to its holster and resumed tending to Alice’s body. No one gave Peter a second look after that as they continued to crowd around. He had never before felt so helpless. He watched in horror as the paramedics produced a white sheet and stretcher.

 

Peter couldn’t take it anymore. He stumbled away. No one stopped him. He walked until he could no longer hear the crowd, the sirens, the disbelieving murmurs. At random, he lurched into an alley and numbly pushed aside garbage bags, making his way to a grimy trash bin. He ripped his mask off, tossing it aside, and got sick into the bin, continuing to heave long after his stomach was empty. His retches became sobs as he clutched the sides of the trash can like a life line.

 

He didn’t know how long he stayed like that before he felt a hand on his back. “Kid, come on,” said a familiar voice, applying pressure to Peter’s shoulder, trying to pull him away.

 

Peter shook his head, clinging still more forcefully to the trash can. “No.”

 

“Come on, you don’t want to stay here. Let’s go.”

 

Peter dimly registered that the voice belonged to Wade. “I said _no_!”

 

Wade sighed heavily. He leaned against the wall beside Peter. “I know that sucked,” he said bluntly. “But—“

 

Peter turned toward him, rage pounding in his head, clouding his vision. “You don’t get it!” he hissed. “You don’t _care_ —you kill people all the time! Th-that girl is _d-dead_!”

 

“What, and you think _you_ killed her?” Wade scoffed.

 

Peter answered so quickly that it caught Wade off guard. “I _know_ I did.”

 

Wade wondered whether he was kidding. It didn’t look like it. _For fuck’s sake._ He sighed heavily. “Kid…”

 

“Don’t,” said Peter. “Just—don’t.”

 

Wade narrowed his eyes. “Shut the fuck up, ok? You need to hear this. This shit is only going to keep happening. You need to get it through your head that you _can’t_ save everyone, or you might as well hang up those tights.”

 

“You think I d-don’t know that?! You think…” Peter took a shuddering gasp. “E-everyone who has ever loved me is d-dead except my Aunt.”

 

_Ah. And there’s the backstory_. Wade cocked his head, considering Peter for a moment. “I’m going to take a wild guess and say that you were there when one of them died?”

 

Peter squeezed his eyes shut. “My uncle was shot in front of me,” he spat. “H-he raised me. He and my aunt.” Peter felt dizzy. His mouth felt as if it were full of cotton. He couldn’t think straight… couldn’t believe that he was talking about this, to _Deadpool_ of all people… The only people he’d talked about Ben to were Ned and Aunt May…

 

Wade paused, then changed tracks. “Ok, then, tell me. Tell me how Alice was your fault.”

 

“I w-webbed myself to that building before I webbed her,” he whispered. “I c-could have slowed her down enough that she might….” Peter couldn’t continue through his sobs.

 

“Both of you would have died,” said Wade forcefully. “Do you hear me? You’d _both_ be dead.”

 

Peter shook his head, crying harder.

 

Wade had no idea what to do. He wasn’t good with displays of emotion, he wasn’t about this kind of shit. But there was something so terribly wrenching about watching Peter cry that he couldn’t help himself. He moved forward, slowly putting an arm around Peter.

 

Peter’s resolve crumbled completely. He turned to Wade, wrapping his arms around him and sobbing unrestrainedly.

 

“Ok, kid,” said Wade, awkwardly patting Peter on the back. “Ok.”

 

Wade wasn’t sure how long they stood like that before he heard the sounds of someone approaching. Wade watched incredulously over the kid’s shoulder as Tony-freaking-Stark appeared.

 

“Peter?”

 

Peter jumped as if electrocuted, releasing Wade immediately. “M-Mr. Stark…”

 

“I saw what happened on the news,” Tony said carefully. It was apparent that he was unhappy about Wade’s presence from the hostile glare he was shooting him, but his expression cleared immediately as he turned to Peter.  “I used the suit tracker. You’ll stay with us in the tower tonight. I’ve arranged everything with May.” 

 

Peter nodded uncertainly. He looked like hell. Th-thanks,” he muttered to Wade, clearly embarrassed by his breakdown.

 

Wade just grunted in acknowledgement.

 

As if on cue, Happy arrived with a car. Tony opened the door for Peter, who scrambled inside with one last look back at Wade. Tony shut the door behind him but didn’t join him in the car. Instead, he started towards Wade.

 

“Stay the fuck away from him,” he said venomously.

 

“Nice to meet you, too, Stark.”

 

“I know who you are, _Deadpool_. Peter’s a good kid.”

 

Wade raised an eyebrow. “Yeah? And what are you, his sugar daddy?”

 

Tony flexed his hands as if he wanted to wrap them around Wade’s throat. “Watch it.”

 

“I seem to have touched a nerve,” Wade jeered. “Look, Iron-dad, Petey is fine. I was just—“

 

“You were just _nothing_ ,” Tony snarled. “I don’t know how you know who he is, but if I ever see you near him again, you’ll have me to answer to.”

 

“I’m shaking in my boots.”

 

Tony opened his mouth to retort, then closed it abruptly. He made a final threatening gesture, turned, and got into the car beside Happy. Wade noticed that Peter had collapsed unmoving against the window in the backseat and ignored the surge of concern he felt for the kid as the car took off.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are appreciated! Let me know what you think/leave ideas for future path-crosses! :D


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, I admit it, this isn't actually a path crossing chapter, it's kind of a fluff chapter...but I felt like we (read: I) needed it after the last one. Hope you still enjoy! Next chapter will be back to the regular style. :D

 

“Kid?” Happy asked tentatively.

 

Peter didn’t respond. He remained slumped against the car window with his eyes shut, his forehead pressed against the cool glass and his breath fogging the surface.

 

“Just let him be until we get to the compound,” Tony said to Happy.

 

“He’s probably in shock,” said Happy uncertainly.

 

Tony grunted in agreement.

 

Happy started to say something else, but Peter squeezed his eyes shut tighter, trying to block out their voices. The image of Alice’s lifeless body swam sickeningly in his mind, and he swallowed hard to quell the accompanying surge of nausea.  

 

At last, the car came to a stop. Peter heard Tony and Happy exiting the car and reluctantly removed his forehead from the window as Happy opened his door.

 

“The guest room next to Vision is ready for you,” said Happy gently.

 

Peter nodded, rubbing his eyes. Wordlessly, he trudged through the main entrance and up the stairs. He felt rather than heard Happy and Tony continuing to discuss him.

 

He opened the door to reveal an extravagantly well-furnished guest bedroom. Sweatpants and a t-shirt had been set out on the neatly made bed for him, and a new toothbrush was on the nightstand.

 

Peter knew he would be unable to sleep, so instead he stripped out of his suit and showered in the room’s private bathroom, numbly standing under the jet of scalding water until his skin was flushed and his head was swimming.

 

He ran a towel haphazardly through his wet hair, putting on the sweatpants and t-shirt and wondering idly whether they were Tony’s. Ignoring the toothbrush, he sprawled out on the disquietingly large bed and stared at the ceiling.

 

Peter gave a strangled yell of surprise as Vision phased unceremoniously through his wall, holding a steaming mug in his hands. The android looked deeply remorseful at Peter’s outburst. “I am so sorry, Mr. Parker,” he said. “Wanda _did_ tell me that humans find my phasing through walls to be disconcerting. It is a habit I am still trying to break.”

 

“Y-you know who I am?”

 

“You are Peter Parker,” said Vision simply. “Otherwise known as the Spider-Man.”

 

Peter’s eyes widened in alarm.

 

“Oh, don’t worry. I am the only one of the team besides Tony Stark who knows your true identity.”

 

“How--?”

 

“I know we haven’t been formally introduced, but it was not difficult for me to make the connection between Tony’s ‘intern’ and the young vigilante,” said Vision simply. “Your secret is safe with me, Peter.”

 

Peter just stared. Vision approached him, holding the mug towards Peter as if it were a peace offering. “Wanda also told me that humans find hot beverages to be comforting in times of distress. I heard about what happened from Tony.”

 

Peter was startled to feel a lump rising in his throat. He blinked rapidly, trying to dispel tears, and reached forward, taking the mug from Vision. “Thanks,” he said hoarsely.

 

Vision nodded. “The loss of a life is a terrible thing to witness,” he said softly. “I imagine that this isn’t your first experience… but it doesn’t get any easier, does it?”

 

Peter cradled what he hazily registered as hot chocolate in his hands. “No,” he said. “It doesn’t.”

 

“It seems as if you blame yourself for what happened,” said Vision.

 

Peter looked away. “I can’t stop thinking about all of the things that might have gone differently. Things that could have saved her.”

 

“Those things are easy to dwell on after the fact,” said Vision. “I am certain that you did the best you could in the moment.”

 

Tears were flowing freely down Peter’s face now. He tried to hide them by raising the mug of hot chocolate to his lips, taking a large gulp. There was so much excess chocolate powder that he coughed, having inhaled some of it.

 

“I do hope there’s enough chocolate,” said Vision concernedly. “I added three packets to be sure…”

 

In spite of himself, Peter gave a watery chuckle. “There’s plenty.” He put the mug down beside him on the night stand, looking out the window pensively. “I wish I knew this would be the last time that I failed to save somebody… but it won’t be, will it?”

 

“No,” said Vision. “It won’t.”

 

Peter sighed, pulling his legs up to his chest and putting his head down on his knees. “What if I hadn’t been there? Would the police have done a better job saving her if they weren’t trying to get me to come down first?”

 

“I think that is something that each of us struggles with,” Vision replied musingly. “Whether we have failed where someone else might have succeeded… whether a situation was made better or worse by our involvement… things that are typically impossible to assess. It is a burden one must bear to do what we do.”

 

Peter nodded slowly. He took another gulp of hot chocolate and felt comforted by the warmth it created in his chest.

 

“I have no doubt that your doings as Spider-Man are an incredible gain for the people of this city, Peter. Try to remember that in times such as these as well as in times of triumph.” Vision was silent for a moment. “I know from experience that is easier said than done.”

 

A knock on the door interrupted them. Vision smiled at him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “I am in the next room if you need me. I promise to use the door next time.”

 

Peter returned his smile. “Th-thank you, Vision.”

 

Vision phased back through the wall and Peter opened the door to reveal Tony. “Mind if I come in, kid?”

 

Peter shook his head, standing aside for Tony.

 

Tony cleared his throat, motioning towards Peter’s mug. “Vision?”

 

Peter nodded.

 

“He gives much better advice than I do,” said Tony. “That’ll be a tough act to follow…but… I wanted to check in.”

 

Peter sighed. “I can’t stop seeing her face.”

 

Tony’s features sharpened with concern. He reached out for Peter, then seemed to think better of it, clasping his hands together in front of him. “I know, kid. Trust me.”

 

“How do you deal with it?”

 

“Alcohol,” said Tony bluntly.

 

Peter’s brow furrowed uneasily.

 

“I told you, kid, I want you to be better than me. I’m not proud of it. Anyway… I’ve improved. Now, it’s mostly working on tech or talking it out with Pepper. We all need something.”

 

Peter nodded. Silence settled between them. Tony looked at him. “It wasn’t your fault, Peter.”

 

Peter sighed heavily. “I know.”

 

“No, kid. Look at me. Say it.”

 

Peter gulped. “I-it wasn’t my f-fault.”

 

“Again.”

 

Peter gathered himself. Then, in a slightly stronger voice, “It wasn’t my fault.”

 

“Good,” said Tony. “Now… there’s one more thing we need to talk about.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“How did you end up involved with Wade Wilson?”

 

“I’m not _involved_ with him…It was an accident. The first time I met him I stopped him from assassinating the Punisher.”

 

“The _first_ time? How many times have you seen him?”

 

“A few times over the past year. The second time was at a strip club—“

 

“ _What?!”_

 

Peter flushed. “N-not like that! There was a hostage situation, and h-his girlfriend works there, and she was being held at gunpoint so I—“

 

“You saved his stripper girlfriend from being shot?”

 

Peter nodded. “That’s when I found out who he was. Before that, I only knew him as Deadpool.”

 

Tony shook his head in disbelief.

 

Peter kept talking. “Then he was at my school and he shoved Flash into a locker…”

 

Tony looked increasingly incredulous as Peter walked him through each of his encounters with Wade. 

 

“Peter… I’m glad he hasn’t hurt you, but trust me. This guy is dangerous. He’s unstable. You need to stay away from him.”

 

“I’m not _trying_ to run into him,” said Peter defensively. “He just keeps showing up!”

 

“Have you ever thought that maybe that’s not a coincidence?”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“I mean, there’s a very real possibility that this guy is stalking you,” said Tony. “Especially now that he knows your identity…”

 

“Mr. Stark, I don’t think it’s like that. There’s no way he would know where I would be—“

 

“He’s literally _trained_ to hunt people down. Look, Peter, he’s been on our radar for a while now. He’s brutal. He might be toying with you, trying to get you to let your guard down…”

 

“Why would he do that?”

 

“Because he wants to. Because he’s bored. Any number of reasons that don’t have to make sense to us but make sense to him because he’s a psychopath.”

 

Peter remembered the way that Wade had comforted him in the alley, feeling a dull flush of embarrassment as he remembered the way he’d clung to him. No matter what Tony said, he couldn’t believe that Wade’s concern had been disingenuous. If Wade had really wanted to hurt him, Peter thought it highly unlikely that he wouldn’t have already done so.

 

Tony was watching Peter carefully as if he knew exactly what he was thinking. “If you see him again, I want you to call me right away, alright?”

 

Peter hesitated, then nodded. “Okay.”

 

“Get some sleep.”

 

Peter pulled back the blankets of the bed, sliding beneath them as Tony rose to get up from beside him. “Lights on or off, kid?”

 

“On,” said Peter softly. “M-Mr. Stark? C-could you…maybe… stay for a minute?” Peter flushed with embarrassment.

 

Tony looked at him, considering. His expression softened. “Sure thing, kid. I was going to do some work, but there’s no reason I can’t do it here. Hang on…”

 

Tony left for about five minutes, then reappeared with his laptop, settling down at the desk across from the bed and starting to work.

 

Comforted by Tony’s presence, Peter was able to drift off to the sound of his typing. 

 

***

 

After the police finally cleared the area, Wade returned to his apartment. Vanessa was back from work, and he recounted for her the horrifying scene with Alice and Peter.

 

“Oh Jesus, that girl who lives above us?” asked Vanessa. “She’s--?”

 

“Yeah,” said Wade.

 

Vanessa looked out the window. “What about the kid?”

 

“Like I said… he went off with Tony Stark. It was rough. Reporters were swarming all around after it happened, and Mabel was only too happy to talk to them.”

 

Vanessa rolled her eyes. “That idiot.” She looked back at Wade. “What did you do to piss off Stark?”

 

“Well, he’s head of the Avengers, isn’t he? They’re kind of anti-mercenary on principle.”

 

“Yeah, but it seems like he’s particularly pissed off at you.”

 

“I’m a good merc,” said Wade giving her a wink. “Also he seems weirdly protective of the kid…I don’t think he liked that I was with him.”

 

“Maybe it’s best if you stay away from him for a while, Wade.”

 

“I’m not doing it on purpose! He just keeps showing up.”

 

“Just be careful. You don’t want to be on the Avenger’s radar any more than you already are…”

 

Wade nodded reassuringly, kissing Vanessa and turning out the lights. As they got into bed, Wade stayed awake long after Vanessa fell asleep, trying not to worry about Peter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think! I love reading your comments and suggestions! :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Overwhelmed by the positive feedback! Thanks, guys, for reading!

Wade shook his head in disgust as he scrolled past yet another news article about Alice’s suicide on his phone. _Fucking vultures._ Headlines including “SPIDER-MAN DROPS YOUNG WOMAN FROM BUILDING” and “THE DEADLY FAILURE OF NEW YORK’S MASKED VIGILANTE” had been plastered across the internet overnight. He was further infuriated to see his intrusive neighbor quoted in one of the articles.

 

_A witness to the horrific events of last evening told the post her take on the situation. “If you ask me, that young woman would still be alive if Spider-Man hadn’t interfered with the police rescue,” said Mabel Spencer._

Wade set his phone aside, wincing at the thought of how hard the kid was going to take this media shit show. Unbidden, he saw Peter in his mind’s eye, unmasked and devastated, vomiting into a trash bin in an abandoned alleyway…

 

Shaking his head in a poor attempt to dislodge the image, Wade suited up and left his apartment for Sister Margaret’s.

 

***

“I’ll sue every fucking news outlet in this city for libel,” Tony muttered murderously, making coffee and, like Wade, scrolling through the tawdry news stories on his phone.

 

Tony only ceased his grumbled diatribe at the sight of Peter emerging sleepily from the guest bedroom, rubbing his eyes.

 

“Hey,” said Tony in a false too-cheery voice that made him want to kick himself. “Want coffee?” Without waiting for a response, Tony poured a generous measure of coffee and added a frankly alarming amount of sugar (but no cream), the way he knew the kid liked it.

 

Peter blinked at Tony’s slightly manic display, but said nothing and accepted the coffee gratefully. “Thanks, Mr. Stark.”

 

Tony allowed Peter a few sips of his coffee before adding “Happy will be down to take you back to May soon, but before you go there’s something we need to talk about.”

 

Peter looked up at Tony with the defeated expression of someone who expected the worst, visibly steeling himself.

 

Tony sighed, putting down his own mug of coffee. _Be direct. Don’t beat around the bush._ It was easier said than done. Tony felt unequal to the task of adding to the weight on Peter’s shoulders, but he couldn’t let him leave the compound unprepared. “There’s been some negative press.”

 

Tony watched as Peter visibly paled before his expression became carefully guarded. “I… I figured there would be backlash,” said Peter quietly. “There were a lot of w-witnesses.”

 

“I won’t ask you not to read the stories,” said Tony. “I know more than most how impossible that is. After what happened in Sokovia… and Nigeria… all of us have been dragged through the mud by the press at one point or another.”

 

Peter nodded. Tony continued. “I won’t tell you it doesn’t suck because it does… but you’ll get through it. The press will move on. They always do.”

 

Peter swallowed hard, avoiding Tony’s eyes. “Thank you for letting me stay.”

 

Tony clapped him on the shoulder. He wished he could think of something else to say, something profound and bolstering that would make Peter feel better, but instead he settled for, “Don’t mention it, kid.” They finished their coffee in silence and Peter left with Happy.

 

***

“Hmm?” said Peter, suddenly realizing that Ned was looking at him for a response.

 

“I just asked if you were okay.”

 

“Yeah, yeah. I’m fine.”

 

“You don’t look fine.”

 

Peter grimaced. “You’ve seen the news.”

 

“Yeah,” said Ned, his brow furrowing. “If you want to talk about it…”

 

“Thanks, Ned,” Peter said dismissively, in what he hoped was an obvious indication that he _did not_ want to talk about.

 

Ned nodded, returning to the Lego set that he and Peter were constructing in Peter’s bedroom. Trying to act normal for Ned and May made Peter felt exhausted. He was still having trouble sleeping, and when he did sleep he had nightmares.

 

Last night, he’d revisited the scene of Alice’s suicide in his dreams. He’d reached out his hand for hers and watched her slip from his grasp to the ground below. Crying out and dropping to the ground beside her, he’d looked closer to see that it wasn’t Alice at all, but Aunt May. He’d woken up in terror, soaked in cold sweat and shaking violently. Unable to help himself, he’d crept to May’s room, cracking the door and listening hard until he’d confirmed the steady sound of her breathing. 

 

“I don’t think they have a leg to stand on, legally,” said Ned thoughtfully.

 

“Huh?” asked Peter.

 

Ned raised his eyebrows. “You know, the talk about making the vigilantes register.”

 

Peter winced again at the reminder. He’d read _that_ article so often that he could practically recite it.

 

_Spider-Man’s actions have caused some to call for a re-evaluation of the current state of the Sokovia Accords. Currently, the accords are legally required for all members of the Avengers, a specialized team now under the supervision of the United Nations. However, reports of un-registered vigilantes acting independently across the country have some wondering whether all enhanced individuals should be registered for the safety of the public._

Peter had seen a few more articles surfacing that mentioned Daredevil and Jessica Jones. Peter put his head in his hands at the thought of causing trouble for other people like him. Ned looked as if he regretted broaching the subject, and tentatively held out the last Lego of the set to Peter so he could complete it.

 

After Ned left, Peter suited up for patrol. For the first few days after Alice, he’d refused to go out, feeling as if he would only make things worse. Hearing about the crimes that had taken place while he’d stayed in had only magnified his guilty conscience, though, so he’d decided to get back on the metaphorical horse.

 

“Anything on the scanner, Karen?”

 

“Affirmative, Peter. There is an apartment fire several blocks from here that I can route you to.”

 

Peter followed Karen’s directives to the fire, arriving to see a small apartment building engulfed in flames and clearly overwhelmed fire fighters struggling to quench the blaze.

 

“My son is still inside!” a woman was screaming as she was dragged struggling from the building by two firemen.

 

“Ma’am the building is about to collapse,” said one of the firefighters firmly. “Your son’s room was blocked off by some of the debris. We’re doing everything we can to clear a path.”

 

Peter heard this, took a deep breath, and asked Karen to guide him. He subjected himself to the unbearable heat and choking smoke, using his strength to remove enough of the rubble to squeeze through into the boy’s bedroom. Peter found the miraculously unhurt six-year-old where he’d sheltered beneath his bed and pulled him into his arms, holding him close. “It’s okay,” he said. “It’s okay, I’ve got you now.” The boy held on to Peter, burying his face into Peter’s shoulder in sheer terror.

 

The firemen hastened to make a path for Peter to get back out as the building became more and more structurally unsound, using their axes to clear a larger gap in the rubble. As they all escaped from the building, one fireman clapped Peter on the back in gratitude while another took the boy from his arms and brought him an oxygen mask. The boy’s mother sprinted towards them and hugged Peter so fiercely that he thought she might break his ribs. Peter held her upright as she cried in exhaustion and relief.

 

Peter felt good about himself for the first time since Alice as he watched the mother and son reunite.

 

Coughing and slightly dizzy from the exertion and the smoke, Peter was leaving the scene when he was distracted by a quick movement to his left. Turning sharply, he saw and recognized the man who’d once been known as the devil of hell’s kitchen.

 

“D-Daredevil?” asked Peter incredulously.

 

Daredevil approached Peter, his hands up to show he wasn’t armed. “Spider-Man. I need you to come with me. It’s important.”

 

Peter looked around him nervously. “Um—I…”

 

“Now, kid.”

 

Peter sighed. Did everyone assume he was a kid? Was it his voice? He _tried_ to make it sound lower… Against his better judgment, he followed the beckoning Daredevil and the two walked in awkward silence for what felt to Peter like at least half a mile.

 

“We need to talk,” said Daredevil finally once they’d arrived at a dilapidated and clearly abandoned warehouse. 

 

Peter shifted nervously from foot to foot. “I—“

 

“What gives?” said a familiar voice from just inside the warehouse. “I thought we were meeting alone.”

 

“I never said that,” said Daredevil in clear exasperation. “This affects him, too.”

 

Peter was dumbfounded as Wade emerged from the warehouse, looking just as shocked to see Peter as Peter was to see him. They all turned as a thin woman with jet black hair, combat boots, and torn jeans joined them, crossing her arms with a slightly bored expression.

 

“Hey, Spider-Man,” said Wade finally. “Long time no see.”

 

Peter felt a rush of gratitude that Wade hadn’t used his name. He nodded at him. “Deadpool,” he said.

 

“You two know each other?” asked Daredevil.

 

“Not really,” said Wade off-handedly. “But we’ve met.”

 

The woman cleared her throat. “If we’re done with the cozy catch ups, can you tell me why I’ve been invited to this?” She paused for a beat. “Sorry I missed the mask memo,” she added, smirking.

 

Daredevil nodded as if gathering himself. “I think we’ve all seen the news lately,” he said quietly.

 

Peter flushed, taking a few involuntary steps backwards.

 

“You mean that vigilante registration shit?” asked Wade. “ _Please_ tell me that is not what we’re here to talk about. I’m not even a _vigilante_. I’m a merc.”

 

Jessica looked at him in amusement. “Deadpool, right? Heard you’re a pretty sharp shooter.”

 

Wade just nodded. “And you must be Jessica Jones. Nice job with that Kilgrave stuff. I’m a fan of anyone who can snap someone’s neck with their bare hands.”

 

Peter flinched at that image, looking in surprise at Jessica. _This_ was Jessica Jones?

 

Daredevil looked as if this meeting was not going as he’d planned. “Look, I don’t care if you consider yourselves vigilantes or not… this is going to impact every openly enhanced person in the country pretty soon. I have it on good authority that the expansion of the accords might be coming sooner than we think. The secretary of state is pushing for it pretty hard.”

 

Jessica’s eyes narrowed. “I’m not signing anything,” she said tersely.

 

“You drew a lot of attention to yourself after what happened with Kilgrave,” said Daredevil seriously. “You’re not gonna be able to slip back into the shadows if they decide to force this through.”

 

Jessica’s expression clouded.

 

Wade snorted. “Look, I don’t operate legally as it is. I kill people for money. I could give less of a fuck if they expand the accords.”

 

Daredevil considered him for a moment. “From what I can tell, you’ve been taking down mostly criminals and murderers who have escaped justice. Pretty selective about your targets for merc, aren’t you?”

 

Wade crossed his arms. “A mere coincidence,” he said, rolling his eyes. “I pick targets that pay well. What’s your point?”

 

“My point is that for now it’s much more trouble than it’s worth to the feds to bring you in. Sure, what you’re doing is illegal… what we’re _all_ doing is illegal. But the way you choose your targets makes you more of a help to them than a hindrance. That all goes away the second the accords are expanded. Public pressure is on them to get everyone with abilities registered.”

 

“Well tough shit,” said Jessica. “They can’t bring us all in.”

 

“They might,” said Daredevil softly. “They have Tony Stark and Vision and War Machine. They have crazy weapons in development that are supposed to be manufactured _specifically_ to bring in people with abilities. They have a maximum security prison they’re calling the raft.”

 

“How do you even know all of this?” asked Wade suspiciously.

 

“I told you…I have a source.”

 

“That’s bullshit,” said Jessica. “Tell us how you know or I’m walking away from this.”

 

“I’m sorry,” Peter blurted out, unable to stand it anymore.

 

The three of them stopped talking, turning to him with looks of confusion.

 

“Um—“ Peter stammered, going red beneath his mask. He tried consciously to lower his voice a few octaves. “I—I know that I’m th-the reason that they’re pushing the accords expansion through. After I… you know… let that woman die.”

 

The three are silent.

 

“I told you, kid,” said Daredevil. “They’ve been trying to push this through for a long time. What happened with you is just the front they’re using to gain momentum with the public.”

 

Jessica nodded. “I’ve seen the things you can do,” she said, her voice uncharacteristically compassionate. “Seems to me these ungrateful bastards could take a page out of your book and start actually helping the people of this city instead of writing shit about someone who’s trying to make a difference.”

 

“Anyway,” added Wade. “What happened to that girl wasn’t your fault. She was going to jump with or without you.”

 

“That’s right,” said a fifth voice from just beside the warehouse.

 

“What the _fuck_?!” exclaimed Jessica in surprise. “How many people did you tell that we were here?” she demanded of Daredevil.

 

Daredevil just nodded to the fifth voice. “Cap,” he said.

 

Captain America emerged into the group. “Sorry for surprising you,” he said, ever courteous.

 

Jessica just glared at him, crossing her arms. “What is _he_ doing here?”

 

“You wanted to know my source,” said Daredevil.

 

“Your source is _Captain America_?!” cried Peter.

 

“Spider-Man,” Cap said, nodding to Peter. Peter felt distinctly awkward at the remembrance of their last encounter, but Cap made no mention of it. Instead he turned to address the group at large. “The accords are being expanded to all enhanced individuals,” he said wearily. “It’s not a matter of if, but when. We need to band together if we want to oppose this.”

 

The group stared at him in stunned silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please consider leaving a comment with ideas for a future path crossing/feedback/etc.! :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and being patient with the updates! :) Hope you enjoy.

Peter, Wade, Daredevil, and Jessica remained quiet. Peter was shaking slightly. He knew that the expansion of the accords was being talked about, but he’d never really taken it seriously…Mr. Stark wouldn’t let that happen…would he?

 

Cap cleared his throat and continued to speak. He told them how he and Tony had been in communication, trying to come up with some amendments to the accords that everyone could live with. Those negotiations had been going well until Ross introduced the motion to expand the accords to include vigilantes. Ross had been stoking the media fire ever since, bringing up story after story of collateral damage caused by undocumented vigilantes. Alice’s suicide had been the latest of such stories.

 

When Cap was finished speaking, Peter swallowed hard, looking in terror from Cap to Jessica to Daredevil and finally to Wade.

 

"If it comes to it, there'll be a fight," said Cap bluntly. "I suggest you start thinking about what side you'll be on."

 

“A f-fight?” asked Peter. “You mean against the government? Against Mr. Stark?”

 

Cap looked distinctly uncomfortable. “There’s a chance it won’t come to that,” he said quickly.

 

Wade could tell he was lying. He crossed his arms. “The only ‘side’ I’m on is my own,” he said. “This has been mildly entertaining and all but I think I’m gonna call it. Later.”

 

The others stared as Wade sauntered off.

 

Cap looked skeptically at Daredevil. “You sure it was a good idea to ask him here?”

 

Daredevil just shrugged. “He’s involved whether or not he wants to be. I was trying to give him fair warning.”

 

Jessica snorted. “He needs fair warning like I need a bullet in the head. He’s _immortal_ , remember?”

 

“Doesn’t mean he can’t be imprisoned,” said Daredevil.

 

“Look… the best thing we can do for now is to try and draw as little attention to ourselves as possible,” said Cap. “The last thing we need is more negative press. I’ll be in touch.”

 

Peter winced at that. The group dispersed as quickly as it had gathered.

 

***

 

As cavalier as he’d seemed, Wade couldn’t help but muse over the potential ramifications of the accords in the weeks that followed the impromptu meeting with Captain America. The last thing he needed was to be on the radar of the federal government.

 

Wade took a long pull of his beer, looking up wearily at Weasel.

 

“You look like shit, Wade.”

 

Wade rolled his eyes. “What else is new? Grab me another beer.”

 

Weasel obliged. “Tell me again how Captain-fucking-America mistook your ass for a vigilante.”

 

Wade grimaced. “Apparently the only requirement now is that you wear a mask.”

 

“Jessica Jones doesn’t wear a mask,” said Weasel.

 

Wade shrugged. “Just tell me why you called. Seemed pretty urgent.”

 

“It’s a hit… an anonymous one. Biggest bounty I’ve seen in a while. Asked for you specifically.”

 

Wade raised his eyebrows. “Who is it?”

 

Weasel produced an envelope and Wade opened it. He read the name of the target and snorted. “Do I look like I have a death wish?” he scoffed.

 

Weasel just shrugged. “You can’t even die.”

 

“Figure of speech,” said Wade rolling his eyes. “Being immortal doesn’t keep me out of federal prison. I’ve got Vanessa to think about.”

 

“Seems to me like Vanessa would want to be thought about in the context of this multi-million-dollar payout.”

 

Wade winced a little. Money _had_ been particularly tight lately.

 

“And don’t act like you don’t care about this vigilante registration act,” said Weasel, a bit quieter now. “I know you do.”

 

Wade just glared at him, sipping at his beer. If he was honest with himself (which on principle he hardly ever was), he was troubled by the vigilante registration act. He’d unwillingly been dragged into the epicenter of this mess, but still found himself bristling at the thought of the government interfering with vigilante justice. People like Peter had the potential to make a real difference in this city, and they were going to dismantle it in the name of some stupid bureaucratic bullshit.

 

Weasel seemed to be reading his thoughts and gave him a lop-sided grin. “Just think about it.”

 

Wade shook his head in exasperation, but he took the envelope with him when he left.

 

Following a rush of adrenaline and unchecked impulse after pacing around his apartment considering the hit, Wade decided to take it. He followed the envelope’s convoluted instructions to get in touch with the client, who he met in person in a seedy bar. Wade’s client was quiet and overtly tense but also exceedingly competent. He’d considered every eventuality, calculating coldly from start to finish. Wade had enough experience with assassination to recognize a master planner at work. While Wade seriously doubted this guy had ever personally shot anyone, he’d sure had plenty of practice with orchestrating the logistics.

 

***

 

Weeks later, the day of the hit arrived. From an unused balcony overhead, Wade surveyed the gathering crowd with distaste. Self-righteous politicians had put together this event at a major conference center in D.C. to promote the vigilante registration act. The audience was mostly composed of political figures, press, and lobbyists as well as citizens who felt they’d been wronged in some way by vigilante justice.

 

The crowd settled down in anticipation of the speakers, and Secretary of State Ross started to ascend the steps to the stage. Wade gritted his teeth in disgust at the tumultuous applause he received. Some of the “advocacy” groups had actually stood to their feet to applaud as Ross arrived at the podium with a shit-eating grin. Wade’s finger itched for the trigger, but he knew he had to wait for the proper moment. His get-away car wouldn’t be in place until later in the proceedings. He sighed, training his sights on Ross anyway.

 

“Good evening, ladies and gentleman! I would first like to express my deepest gratitude for your support of the vigilante registration act.”

 

More applause. Wade rolled his eyes.

 

“I know that many of you have been following the arguments made for stamping out vigilante justice. You’ve heard from prominent political figures, victims and their families, and expert law-makers. Today, I would like to introduce you to a new perspective. Please, join me, in welcoming the newest supporter of our cause—Spider-Man!”

 

For a moment, Wade was certain he’d had a stroke. He _couldn’t_ have heard right, yet there was no mistaking the red and blue form of Spider-Man as he emerged on-stage. He was accompanied by Tony Stark, who had his hand on Peter’s shoulder, directing him forward towards the podium. Stark looked uncharacteristically somber, and Wade could see through his scope that the knuckles of the hand on Peter’s shoulder had gone white.

 

There was hesitant applause from the crowd as well as muttering. Peter strode forward, standing beside Ross. Tony was saying something in the kid’s ear, but Peter just shook his head and shrugged his hand off. Seeming resigned, Stark took a couple of steps back with a clouded expression.  

 

Wade was dumb-struck. Ross had joined the crowd in applauding Peter and began to speak again. “You see, after Spider-Man’s actions resulted in the death of a young woman, he finally saw sense. The vigilante registration act is necessary to protect the people of this country! To demonstrate his new commitment to this cause, Spider-Man has agreed to unmask, here and now, before you all. He hopes to earn back your trust by becoming transparent with you.”

 

Wade felt light-headed. _You idiot. What the fuck are you doing?_

 

Peter began to speak, and the waver in his voice went through Wade like a knife. No longer was he assuming the false-deep voice he sometimes used. He sounded more like a fifteen-year-old than ever. “I h-hope that my unmasking will make the c-citizens of New York feel safe again.”

 

Peter’s trembling hands moved towards his mask, and Wade couldn’t take it anymore. Knowing but not caring that this would almost certainly result in his capture, he lined Secretary Ross up in his sights and pulled the trigger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please consider leaving a comment!! I love reading them!!! :) Let me know what you thought of this chapter.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another connecting chapter, what can I say ? So now we've done the five accidental encounters, one more chapter for the "on purpose!" :) Thank you for continuing to read and comment!

 

Several things happened at once. Ross crumpled as the audience screamed. Security guards rushed towards the source of the gun shot, impeded by the panicked crowd. Peter's hands froze where they'd been about to lift his mask. Tony hurtled forward to pull him away, engaging his armored glove.

 

"He's dead," hissed Tony. "Get up."

 

Peter was clearly in shock, kneeling numbly in Ross's blood. At Tony's voice, he scrambled to his feet, clutching Tony's arm for support.

 

A few guards reached Ross. One searched in vain for a pulse while another called for an ambulance. Neither of them looked at Tony or Peter.

 

Tony hauled Peter towards the nearest emergency exit, but it was blocked by the panicked crowd. Tony cursed under his breath and scanned the perimeter, spotting a door labeled "maintenance only." He used his glove to blast away the handle, pushing open the door and shoving Peter in ahead of him. As Tony and Peter stumbled into the darkened hallway, they ran headlong into a masked figure, clearly also fleeing the scene.

 

Tony and Wade locked eyes. Instinctively, Tony dragged Peter to stand behind him. "You," he spat. 

 

"Me," agreed Wade. He was breathing hard, holding his assault rifle aloft between them. He narrowed his eyes at Tony's clearly protective gesture. "If I wanted to shoot the kid, I would have. That might have been better than what _you_ were having him do."

 

"You think _I_ planned this?" asked Tony incredulously. "You--"

 

The two men froze at the sound of the door opening again. Two security guards had emerged, holding their guns out in front of them. "Freeze!"

 

Tony put up his hands and opened his mouth to begin explaining, but the two men dropped to the ground as Wade fired without hesitation, putting a bullet in each of their legs. Wade kept moving as the guards screamed in pain.

 

"Wait!" Tony hurried after him, still dragging Peter along. He noticed that Peter had started to shake violently.  

 

“Happy has the car, alright, Peter?” he murmured.

 

Happy had parked the car at an agreed upon location nearby with instructions to remain there until after the ceremony. Tony was now fervently glad that he’d taken that precaution.

 

With relief, Tony noticed that the maintenance hallway did indeed lead to an exit. Tony watched as Wade departed the building in front of them. Acting on impulse, Tony called out to the masked mercenary. “Come with us.”

 

“ _What_?”

 

“You won’t get away on foot,” said Tony.

 

Bewildered, Wade followed. They hurried along for nearly a quarter of a mile before they arrived at the car. As they approached, Happy stared at Wade, mouth agape.

 

“Let’s go!” said Tony tersely as he, Wade, and Peter piled into the back of the car.

 

Tony refused to speak about what had happened until they arrived at the security of the compound. He ushered Peter and Wade inside. Happy looked all too relieved to follow Tony’s suggestion that he retire to one of the guest bedrooms.

 

Tony turned on Wade. "I guess I don't need to ask if you were the one that shot Ross," he said dryly.

 

"I guess not," said Wade, examining his fingernails with apparent boredom.

 

"Why?" asked Tony slowly.

 

"What do you mean, _why_?" Wade gestured at himself impatiently. "Merc."

 

Tony rolled his eyes. "I know that. What I mean is why _then_? It clearly wasn't planned to happen at that moment. You were fleeing _on foot_ , for God’s sake."

 

Wade hesitated. Finally, he just shrugged.

 

Tony crossed his arms, waiting.

 

Wade glared at Tony. "Why am I getting hit with twenty questions here? _You're_ the one who tried to make the kid unmask as a political stunt.”

 

"It wasn't Mr. Stark," said Peter quietly, breaking his uncharacteristic silence. "It was me. I..." he trailed off, looking out the window. "I guess it doesn't matter, now."

 

" _What_ doesn't matter?" asked Tony exasperatedly. "I've been trying to talk you out of this for _weeks_ and now you're saying it doesn't--"

 

"He threatened my aunt," said Peter hollowly.

 

Tony’s heart sank. Peter’s actions over the past weeks suddenly made a dreadful amount of sense, and he wanted to kick himself for not seeing it sooner. He thought that Peter had agreed to this because of lingering guilt over the girl… not because of a looming threat to his aunt. He felt sick. How could he have been so stupid?

 

Tony and Wade didn’t say anything for a while, both staring at Peter. Peter continued. “He’s…been watching me. One of his drivers came up on me when I was walking to the train station after school…Told me to get in the car. He knew who I was. Used all the Spider-Man sightings to triangulate a plausible area that I lived… had guys watching, waiting for me to come home. It was probably really easy for them… I’m not always subtle when I come back to the apartment after patrol.”

 

“ _Who,_ Peter?” asked Tony, already knowing.

 

“R-Ross.”

 

_“Your aunt is a beautiful woman, Peter.”_

_Peter recoiled, his hands curling into fists._

_“It would be a shame if something were to happen to that lovely face of hers,” Ross added._

_The color drained immediately from Peter’s face, and Ross smirked. “Don’t worry, she’s quite safe… for now. But I hope this makes you feel the same sense of unease, of powerlessness, that many of us feel knowing vigilantes are not subject to the law.”_

_Peter blinked incredulously. Was Ross actually making this comparison?_

_“I think you could be very useful to us, Peter.”_

_Peter opened his mouth, then closed it abruptly, disoriented from the rapid and frightening turn of events. He swallowed hard. “What do you want from me?”_

Peter suddenly looked quite pale.

 

“Take it easy, kid,” said Wade, his voice uncharacteristically soft. “It’s okay.”

 

Peter just shook his head. “You—you killed him.”

 

Wade nodded.

 

Peter met his gaze, and Wade was thrown to find distress and fear rather than gratitude in the his eyes.

 

“What Mr. Stark said,” Peter said slowly. “About you k-killing him before you were supposed to. Did you do that because I was about to take off my mask?”

 

Wade returned Peter’s gaze steadily. “Yes.”

 

“Why did you take the job?”

 

“How many times do I have to say it? I’m a mercenary, kid. This is how I make my money.”

 

“It’s because of the vigilante act, isn’t it?” asked Peter quietly.

 

Wade snorted. “No.”

 

“You’re lying,” said Peter softly. He paused for a moment. Then, “You didn’t have to _kill_ him. We could have found another way.”

 

Wade scoffed. “Yeah? And how do you think that would have worked out for you? Your aunt?”

 

Peter didn’t say anything, but stood to his feet. He looked suddenly angry. “Don’t talk about my aunt! You don’t understand what I’ve been through since he threatened her—“

 

“I did you a favor!” spat Wade.

 

“I didn’t ask you to!” yelled Peter. “I would _never_ —“

 

Wade experienced a sudden surge of anger. He strode forward toward the teenager, grabbed him by the shoulders and pushing him hard into the nearest wall. A hint of fear flickered across Peter’s face, but he looked back at Wade defiantly. Wade found himself yelling. “We can’t all skip around New York helping old ladies cross streets and not killing on principle because it makes us sleep easy at night! It was him or us, kid. And I’m looking out for _us._ Something you’re apparently too gutless to do!”

 

Tony yanked Wade away from Peter, snarling. “That’s enough! _Get out.”_

 

“Fine,” said Wade. He pointed at Peter viciously. “The next time you’re about to do something stupid, _don’t_ expect me to be there.”

 

Peter just stared as Wade strode angrily from the complex.

 

***

Vanessa was wide-eyed as Wade returned the the apartment, breathing heavily. “Start packing,” he said.

 

“What?”

 

“I said, _start packing_! We’re rich.” Wade began throwing their possessions at random into duffel bags, muttering under his breath.

 

Vanessa hadn’t moved.

 

“Why are you looking at me like that?! I need help packing up all this shit.”

 

“Where are we going?” asked Vanessa hesitantly.

 

“I don’t know yet. I’m thinking somewhere tropical.”

 

“So I’m guessing the hit on Ross went well?”

 

Wade snorted. “No, not really. But he’s dead.”

 

“Wade—“

 

“Look, we don’t have time to talk about this right now. We need to get out of here.”

 

Vanessa crossed her arms. “I don’t think that’s what you want,” she said.

 

Wade turned to look at her, momentarily abandoning his manic packing. “What?! Of course it is.”

 

“But what about the vigilante act? What about Captain America and the others?”

 

Wade snorted. “Do you think I give a fuck about—“

 

“Yes,” Vanessa interrupted. “You do. Do you think that vigilante act died with Ross? They need you, Wade.”

 

“They don’t need me. That was made pretty clear tonight.”

 

“What happened?” she asked softly.

 

“ _Nothing_ , Jesus.”

 

“I know when you’re lying, Wade.”

 

Wade threw up his hands in frustration. “Look, are you coming with me or not?”

 

Vanessa narrowed her eyes. “I’m not going anywhere,” she said harshly. “And neither are you.”

 

“It’s not safe,” said Wade. “We need to go.”

 

Vanessa just shook her head, motioning vaguely towards their TV. “They’re looking for him.”

 

“Who?”

 

In response, Vanessa increased the volume on the television set, watching Wade’s face carefully. “Police are urging anyone who witnessed the assassination of Secretary Ross to come forward for questioning. The vigilante known as Spider-Man has been named a person of interest in this ongoing investigation, and anyone with knowledge of his whereabouts are likewise encouraged to share this information with the authorities.”

 

Wade stared at the television in disbelief. “For fuck’s sake.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you thought! :) I love reading your comments.


	9. Chapter 9

“Are you okay, Peter? Did he hurt you?”

 

“I’m fine.”

 

Tony nodded briskly, still seething at Wade’s nerve. Throwing the kid up against the wall like that… who did he think he was? “Look… Peter, I’m going to have to go and get your aunt. It’s not safe for her to stay at the apartment if Ross’s guys know that’s where you live.”

 

Peter nodded helplessly. “Y-yeah. I know. I’ll come, too.”

 

“Absolutely not. You’re benched. Hear me? _Benched_.”

 

Peter opened his mouth to argue but thought better of it at the murderous gleam in Tony’s eyes.

 

Instead, he paced around the compound, waiting for Tony to return with May. He became so lost in his own thoughts that he almost didn't notice their return, startling at the sound of the door.

 

May was frantic. She pushed past Tony, grabbing Peter's shoulders. "What the hell is going on, Peter?! How could you not tell me that you were going to reveal your identity at a _press conference_?! Do you have any idea what I went through seeing you on the TV like that?!"

 

Tony spared Peter from having to answer when he saw that the teenager was speechless, murmuring explanations to May as Peter stood there shell-shocked. Happy appeared with a mug of strong tea for May and Peter watched as she grew pale and quiet. "I'm sorry, May," he croaked.

 

***

 

MJ knew that Peter Parker did not have mono. She didn't even believe that someone with powers like Peter's _could_ get mono.

 

MJ had known that Peter was Spider-Man since the academic decathlon trip to D.C. A super hero operating almost exclusively in Queens who suddenly turned up in D.C. to save their team when Peter was conveniently missing? Between that and Ned and Peter's conspicuous  whispering throughout the school day, MJ was surprised more people hadn't figured it out. Then again, most people were idiots.

 

MJ hadn't outed Peter, and she didn't intend to. What was it to her if he wanted to run around the city in tights fighting crime? Clearly he had some deep-seated emotional issues or something. But now, Peter had "gotten mono" mere hours after Spider-Man's failed unmasking and Secretary Ross's assassination? Something was off.

 

It's not like she was worried about Peter or anything, she told herself insistently as she found herself getting off at his train stop instead of hers after school.

 

***

 

Cursing himself, Wade made his way once again to Peter's apartment in Queens. This fucking kid was going to be the death of him. Ever since the public call for Spider-Man as a person of interest in Ross's assassination, he'd been lurking periodically around Peter's apartment, determined to keep an eye out in case someone decided to pay him a visit.

 

All had been quiet so far, but Wade knew that if Tony Stark was half as smart as everyone thought he would have Peter lying low somewhere else. That wouldn't stop Wade from killing anyone who happened to come looking here for Peter.

 

He winced as he thought back to shoving the kid into the wall and screaming an inch from his face. He hated how naïve the kid was, how trusting and stupid. He hated that he'd risked his own skin for the kid's safety. He hated that he'd been hurt by Peter's lack of gratitude. He hated that he was sitting here keeping an eye on the kid's apartment. Most of all, he hated feeling guilty about how he'd lost his cool with the kid. Stupid. All stupid.

 

Wade was distracted from his self-loathing by the sound of someone approaching the apartment complex. He'd gotten to know the look of most of the Parkers' neighbors, but the girl marching up to their door wasn't one he'd seen before. He watched as she rang the doorbell, tapping her foot. As she got more and more impatient, she started to knock and then pound on the door.

 

"Peter, I know you're in there! Open up! It's MJ!"

 

No response. Wade didn't like the amount of noise that the girl was making. He was just wondering how to make her stop without creating even more of a racket when he heard the sounds of two more people approaching. Men in suits. Wade felt a thrill of foreboding as one approached the girl, putting his hand on her shoulder. _Fuck._

 

"Are you a friend of Peter's?" the man asked in a false-friendly voice.

 

The girl looked up at the man with a raised eyebrow. "I'm pretty sure that's none of your business," she said cooly.

 

The man smiled politely. "I'm afraid it is," he said. He presented a badge to the girl. Wade cursed under his breath.

 

The girl was clearly unimpressed by the badge. She crossed her arms, looking at the man. "What's going on?"

 

"That's classified, but suffice it to say that it's a matter of national security. Now, I'm going to ask you again... are you a friend of Peter Parker's?"

 

The girl shrugged. "He's just some guy on my academic decathlon team."

 

"And do you know where he is now?"

 

The girl shrugged again.

 

The man exchanged a glance with his partner. "They'll want to talk to her."

 

The other man nodded in agreement, moving forward towards the girl. "Come with us.”

 

"No way."

 

The men exchanged another look. The first man grabbed the girl's arm and was caught off guard when she immediately kneed him in the groin. Wade watched, bemused, as the man doubled over. His companion grabbed her from behind, clamping a hand over her mouth as she started to yell and struggle. The other man struggled to his feet, cursing.

 

Wade groaned, resigned to intervening. As the men dragged the girl back towards the parking lot, he placed himself between them and their car. “Is this a kidnapping? As someone who has done a lot of kidnapping, this sure looks like a kidnapping.”

 

The men froze, both staring at Wade. Wade unsheathed his katanas in a slow threatening way, staring both of them down. “Give me the girl and get out of here.”

 

The man holding the girl hesitated, then dragged her in front of him like a shield. “S-stay back!” he yelled.

 

Wade’s temper flared. As the second man approached him, he easily dropped him to the ground by hitting him over the head with the blunt end of the katana. The man cowering behind the girl continued to stare at Wade.

 

“Okay, let’s try this again. You have three seconds to let go of her before I cut your fucking hand off.”

 

The man made an incomprehensible sound of fear, but made no move to let go of MJ. Wade sighed. He’d wanted to spare the kid from seeing this, but… oh well. Expertly and swiftly, he slid a katana to either side of the man’s wrist and crossed them.

 

Blood spurted everywhere as the man screamed and his hand fell from his arm. MJ screamed too, stumbling towards Wade as the man released her and sank to his knees beside his unconscious friend.

 

Wade reached out for the girl and didn’t blame her in the slightest when she instantly recoiled. She had just seen him chop a guy’s hand off, after all. She was also covered in his blood. Wade put up his hands in a mock surrender gesture. “Hey, it’s alright,” he said. “Sorry you had to—uh—see that…I think it’ll be best if you come with me, now. You’re not safe here.”

 

MJ stared at Wade. He was impressed at how quickly she’d regained her composure. “Why should I go with _you_?” she asked, leveling him with an impassive stare.

 

“Because I’m going to take you to see Peter,” he said.

 

***

Tony was sitting in his penthouse with the Parkers having a tense discussion about how to best continue concealing Peter’s identity when FRIDAY alerted him that someone had arrived at the compound.

 

Peter visibly tensed at this.

 

“Don’t worry, kid,” said Tony bracingly. “I’ll handle it. You guys stay here.”

 

Tony wasn’t sure who he was expecting to see on FRIDAY’s visual feed but it certainly wasn’t Wade Wilson and a shell-shocked looking teenager covered in blood. “What in the hell…” he muttered. He yanked open the door but stood in the threshold, not allowing them entry.

 

“What are you doing here?” Tony asked Wade pointedly. “You’ve got a lot of nerve showing up here after—“

 

Wade cut him off. “Let us in, Stark. She was at the Parkers… almost got taken by the feds.”

 

The effect of these words on Tony was instantaneous. He cursed, stepping aside and ushering them into the compound. The girl remained silent, arms crossed over her chest.

 

Tony ushered them into a room off of the main entrance, letting them sit down. He turned to the girl kindly. “Are you a friend of Peter’s? From school?”

 

The girl nodded hesitantly. “My name is MJ.”

 

“MJ. Right.” Tony ran a nervous hand through his hair. How was he supposed to explain to Peter’s classmate what was going on without revealing Peter’s secret identity?

 

MJ’s next words drove that thought from Tony’s mind. “I know about Peter,” she said. “I… _know._ ”

 

Tony sighed heavily. “When did he tell you?”

 

MJ looked aside at Wade, raising an eyebrow at Tony. “It’s okay,” Tony said. “He knows too.”

 

MJ visibly relaxed. “He didn’t tell me he was Spider-Man,” she admitted. “I… figured it out. He’s not exactly subtle, is he?”

 

Tony gave a strained chuckle in spite of himself, smiling a little at MJ. He already kind of liked this kid. “No. Not his strong suit.”

 

“He’s hiding out here because of what happened to Ross, isn’t he?” asked MJ.

 

Tony nodded. “It’s very important that we keep him under the radar for as long as we can while I figure out what’s going on. Before he died, Ross discovered Peter’s identity. That means that Peter and anyone who knows his secret is in danger. They’ve already come here looking for him but I’ve managed to convince them that I don’t know where he is.”

 

MJ bit her lip. “I’m sorry if I made things worse.”

 

Tony dismissed her with a wave of his hand. “Things were already screwed up before you went looking for Peter,” he said. “I’m working on it.”

 

“Is he… okay?”

 

Tony looked at her carefully. Under MJ’s tough and callous exterior, it was clear that she was very worried about Peter. Her knuckles had gone white around her crossed arms. Tony nodded. “I’ll take you to see him, alright?”

 

She nodded, getting to her feet. Tony looked at Wade who had been sitting uncharacteristically quietly throughout his conversation with MJ. “Stay here. I’ll be back.”

 

Wade nodded.

 

Tony and MJ took the elevator up to the penthouse. MJ was fidgeting with the sleeves of her jacket.

 

***

Peter was in the middle of imagining varied scenarios involving the feds trying to break into the compound when Tony re-entered the penthouse with the very last person on Earth he expected to see.

 

“MJ?!” he croaked in shock.

 

MJ gave a tentative wave and an awkward half-smile. Peter suddenly noticed that she was covered in blood.

 

“Are you okay?! Is that _blood_? What are you doing here?!”

 

Tony looked pointedly at May. “I think we should continue our discussion in the next room,” he said. “These kids have some catching up to do. Besides, there’s someone you should meet.”

 

As May and Tony left the room, MJ fidgeted as Peter continued to stare at her incredulously.

 

“Stop looking at me like that!”

 

“Like _what?!”_

“Like I’m the craziest thing you’ve ever seen!”

 

“Well, I didn’t exactly _expect_ you here… I—uh—I’m really contagious…”

 

“Cut the bullshit, Parker,” said MJ. “You don’t have to tell me the truth but don’t lie to me. It’s insulting. You honestly think I believe that you have _mono?!_ After everything that happened today?”

 

“What happened today?” asked Peter in confusion.

 

If he didn’t know MJ better he could have sworn he saw her face redden in embarrassment. “I went to your apartment after school.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because I knew you didn’t have mono.”

 

“How?”

 

MJ chewed her lip again, looking uncharacteristically distressed. “I didn’t think Spider-Man could get mono,” she said finally.

 

Peter’s jaw dropped. He felt his heart plummet. “You— _knew_? For how long?”

 

“Since D.C.”

 

Peter was speechless. He thought he’d been careful…

 

MJ continued fidgeting.

 

“Wait a minute,” said Peter. “That doesn’t explain why you went to my apartment.”

 

MJ flushed again. “What? You’re going to make me say it? After Ross’s assassination, you were suddenly gone. I was _worried_ about you, okay?”

 

Peter’s expression immediately softened. “ _You_ were worried about _me?_ ”

 

MJ met his gaze defiantly for a moment, then looked at her feet. “I’m not always as—indifferent-- as I seem, you know.”

 

“I’m sorry,” said Peter softly. “I didn’t mean to—“

 

But what he was going to say next died abruptly in his throat as MJ hurried towards him, throwing her arms around his neck. For a moment, Peter just stood there in shock then slowly he returned the hug.

 

They broke apart quickly. “So... why are you covered in blood?” asked Peter awkwardly.

 

MJ recounted the story. Peter’s jaw dropped when she described Wade chopping off the agent’s hand. “ _Deadpool_ brought you here?!”

 

***

Wade sat across from Tony and Peter’s aunt in uncomfortable silence. No one seemed to want to say anything. Wade was pleased to see that Tony looked pissed off about something. Probably his presence.

 

“Sorry—“ said May suddenly. “But who are you?”

 

Wade opened his mouth to respond but Tony beat him to it. “He’s been stalking your nephew.”

 

May’s nostrils flared dangerously.

 

“ _What?!”_ Wade cried in indignation. “No I haven’t!”

 

“Oh sure, all those meet-ups were totally by accident! How many is it now?”

 

“I swear,” said Wade through gritted teeth. “Today is the first time I’ve come to see him on purpose! And only because his little girlfriend almost got abducted outside of his apartment!”

 

“Someone had better tell me what’s been going on right this instant or I swear to God—“

 

But May was interrupted by FRIDAY. For the second time that evening, FRIDAY announced an unexpected arrival. “Steve Rogers in the lobby for you, boss.”

 

Tony felt like he was having an aneurysm. “ _What?!_ How did he get in here?!” he roared.

 

“He still has security clearance, boss,” said FRIDAY in what Tony could have sworn was an impertinent tone.

 

“For God’s sake,” said Tony.

 

Steve burst into the room looking frantic. “Tony,” he said sharply.

 

Tony froze. He hadn’t seen Steve since Siberia. “Rogers,” he answered. “What’re you—“

 

But Steve interrupted him. “There’s something happening. Something big.”

 

“I already know,” said Tony shortly. “The vigilante registration act passed. I guess Ross’s assassination made him something of a martyr. They’re going to make the announcement any minute.”

 

Steve stared at him uncomprehendingly. Tony finally noticed that he looked positively unhinged. “Hey—what’s--?”

 

“We have to get out of here,” Steve said. “ _Now_.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, friends, we've reached the end. Thank you so much to everyone who has followed this story--I've had a blast writing and so appreciate your encouragement. I know this has expanded significantly past my six planned chapters... but for those of you paying attention, technically speaking I still only have five accidental encounters and one on purpose encounter. So... I sort of followed the rules? Also I finally incorporated a fourth wall break so, there's that. 
> 
> Enjoy the last chap! xo

“What?” said Tony in befuddlement. “Why?”

 

Steve motioned impatiently at Tony, waving him towards the exit of the compound. “Come on,” he said. “All of you. We need to evacuate.”

 

“I swear to God, Rogers, if you don’t stop speaking in riddles,” hissed Tony, “I’m not going anywhere.”

 

Steve grimaced. “The feds. More specifically, an elite anti-superhuman task force Ross was putting together before he died. They—think they have a lead on the assassination. For some reason, they think Spider-Man is here.”

 

Tony’s mouth went dry. “He had nothing to do with this.”

 

Steve’s brow furrowed. “ _Is_ he here?”

 

Tony turned in fury to Wade. “Were you _followed_?”

 

At that moment, Peter and MJ came into the room and immediately halted their conversation at the clearly tense atmosphere. “What’s going on?” asked Peter, staring wide-eyed at Steve.

 

“Who’re you?” asked Steve sharply.

 

It hadn’t occurred to Tony that Steve was the only person in this room who didn’t know that Peter was Spider-Man. “He’s my—intern,” he said awkwardly.

 

Wade snorted. Tony glared at him as Steve raised an eyebrow questioningly. Steve looked between Tony and Peter a few times, and Tony could physically see him connecting the dots.  “Jesus, Tony,” Steve said quietly. “I knew he was young, but this...” he trailed off uncomfortably. 

 

For several pained moments, no one said anything. Then, Steve, remembering the urgency of the situation, snapped back into action. “We need to leave.”

 

Tony was torn between thanking Steve for the warning and punching him in his teeth for what happened in Siberia, but in the end he decided to trust the man. As the group made for the exit, Wade put a hand out to stop them. He looked as if he were steeling himself to do something desperate.

 

“Maximum effort,” Wade muttered under his breath. Then, to the group, “Go. It’s me they want.”

 

“ _No_ ,” said Peter fiercely. “It’s _Spider-Man_ they want.”

 

“Don’t even think about it, kid,” Tony snapped.

 

“He killed Ross because of me,” Peter said slowly.

 

“No,” said Wade softly. “I killed Ross because of _me_. You need to leave now, okay?”

 

Peter bit his lip. “They’ll kill you.”

 

Wade just shrugged. “Haven’t you heard yet? I can’t die.”

 

“You know what I mean,” Peter persisted.

 

Wade waved him off. He looked over Peter’s shoulder at Steve. “Get him out of here.”

 

Peter shook his head, ignoring Steve completely as he put his hand on Peter’s shoulder. “We can protect you.”

 

“You can’t protect me _and_ your identity. As long as these guys think you might have had something to do with Ross, they’ll keep coming after you. If I turn myself in, maybe they’ll stop looking.”

 

Tony was watching Wade carefully. “There might be something to that,” he mused. “I’ll stay. It’ll seem like I’m turning you in. It’ll be suspicious if you just look like you’re giving yourself up.”

 

Wade nodded in agreement, clenching his jaw. Tony called for his suit and got into it. Steve started beckoning them towards the exit and May, MJ, and Happy obeyed immediately, following Steve down the stairs and out of the compound towards Tony’s fleet of cars.

 

Peter remained, his arms crossed. “I’m not going to let you do this.”

 

"I took that hit, kid. No one made me."

 

"You could have skipped town," said Peter slowly. "There's no way you planned to stick around after that."

 

"Kid," said Wade warningly. 

 

"Why didn't you leave? You could have gotten away easily. You could _still_ get away easily." 

 

"I didn't stick around for _you_ if that's what you're implying.”

 

Peter tried to swallow the lump in his throat but it felt like trying to swallow glass. "You saved my identity." 

 

Wade waved him off impatiently.

 

"You saved MJ."

 

"All meaningless coincidences that do not reflect upon my feelings towards you at all," said Wade airily. 

 

Tears were falling freely down Peter's face now. Wade was horrified to feel tears starting to form in his own eyes and was fervently glad that he was still wearing his mask. He cleared his throat painfully. "Don't ruin my beautiful moment of self-sacrifice with your sniveling. This is starting to feel like the poorly crafted fan-fiction of some twenty-something-year-old geek."

 

Peter cried even harder, wrapping his arms around Wade. Wade sighed, patting him on the head. "Okay, kiddo. Okay."

 

Steve had come back for Peter. He stepped forward, putting his hands on Peter's shoulders and pulling him back. Finally, Peter allowed himself to be dragged away.

 

As Tony and Wade waited in silence for the feds, Tony gripped Wade's upper arm.

 

"Make this look good," said Wade.

 

Tony smirked. "Easy."

 

The agents arrived mere minutes after Steve left with the others. They looked as if they were trying to be stealthy, but stopped immediately upon seeing Tony and Wade standing there calmly.

 

One of the agents approached Tony, training his gun on him.

 

"You're killing me with that nonsense," said Tony. "This is an indestructible suit and this guy is self-healing, so let's drop the James Bond act for a minute, yeah?"

 

The agent made no move to lower his gun. "We have an arrest warrant for Peter Parker, otherwise known as--"

 

Tony raised his gauntlet, powering it up with a threatening whine. "You're _not_ going to want to finish that sentence," he snarled.

 

The agent stopped speaking, mouth agape. His companions stared.

 

"I'm well aware of the threats made against Mr. Parker by your deceased employer," said Tony. "Do you _really_ think that I'd let the kid out in that suit without a recording device implanted in it? Did you even _bother_ to see if he was wearing the suit under his clothes when Ross staged his little abduction?"

 

The men said nothing.

 

"Oh, okay, then," said Tony. "Let's take a listen."

 

He pulled out his phone, hitting play on the clip he'd downloaded from Peter's suit. Ross's voice echoed ominously, threatening Peter’s aunt.

 

The agents exchanged troubled glances. The man who had pointed his gun at Tony slowly lowered it.

 

"That's _definitely_ a crime... and all of you as Ross's little goon squad are complicit." Tony narrowed his eyes. "If Peter’s identity goes public, I release _this_. Even if you manage to avoid prison time, I think the ethics investigation will probably put you out of a job, don't you? Especially without Ross around to protect you."

 

The agents looked distinctly shaken. “Th-that won’t be necessary, Mr. Stark,” one of them mumbled.

 

"Right then," said Tony crisply. "I have here, for your convenience, the man who was _actually_ involved in Ross's assassination."

 

"And by involved, he means I shot him in the head," quipped Wade.

 

No one moved. Wade sighed dramatically at their stupidity, holding his hands out in front of him. "You can arrest me now."

 

Stunned at this turn of events, one agent produced a pair of handcuffs and hurried forward. Wade sighed again. "The handcuffs are kind of unnecessary, though. I'm coming _willingly._ "

 

"You attacked our men," the agent spat.

 

"What?! _Barely."_

 

 _"_ You cut his hand off!"

 

"Oh shit, yeah, I forgot about that. Did he get it on ice? If he got it on ice quick they should have been able to sew it back on...if he didn't, that kind of feels like not my fault."

 

The man shoved Wade ahead of him roughly. "Hang on a minute," said Wade, turning back to Tony. "Take care of my girl, okay? And… the kid."

 

Tony nodded. He felt something very akin to regret watching Wade being led away by the agents and shoved forcefully into a van.

 

***

THREE MONTHS LATER

 

Peter fidgeted in the seat of the helicopter, staring out at the tumultuous sea.

 

"You okay, Pete?" asked Steve.

 

Peter shrugged. Steve sighed. "I know you want to help," he said carefully. "But it's dangerous. You're still a--"

 

" _Don't_ ," said Peter sharply. "As if my age matters when the whole _world_ is at stake."

 

"Take it easy back there," said Tony. "I will turn this helicopter around--"

 

"You won't be able to stop me," continued Peter, ignoring Tony. "We need every single hand on deck for this one. Isn't that why we're here in the first place?"

 

Steve opened his mouth to retort but stopped when he saw the raft rising eerily from the sea. Even having seen it once before, it was awe-inspiring. Peter was also silent as his eyes widened in amazement.

 

The helicopter landed and was greeted by two guards. One of them approached Tony. "I want it understood, sir, that the conditions of his pardon must be fulfilled or he will be transported back to the raft immediately. We're releasing him into your custody."

 

Tony waved his hand at the guard impatiently, striding forward and descending the ladder into the raft. Steve and Peter followed close behind. Peter seemed to be shaking.

 

They walked past a handful of empty padded cells until they reached Wade's. He was in a straight jacket, a blinking collar around his neck. His head was bowed onto his chin. Tony couldn't tell if he was even awake. He rapped smartly on the glass.

 

Wade's head jerked up quickly. Tony noticed that he looked haggard and haunted, his eyes sunken deep in his head.

 

"Jesus," said Tony disparagingly to one of the guards. "Have you even been feeding him?"

 

"I'm fine," said Wade hoarsely. "Just dying."

 

"What?"

 

"Collar," he rasped. "Suppresses my healing abilities. I've got cancer I think, still, and some other bullshit. All the damage I've taken over the years is catching up."

 

Tony turned furiously on the guards. "You took away his healing?! That wouldn't even help him escape, you morons. Take it off, now!"

 

One of the guards produced a thin metal rod, handing it to Tony. "Insert it into the side of the collar," he said.

 

"You're not going to do it?" asked Tony in confusion.

 

"None of my guys will go in there with him," confessed the guard. "The last one nearly died."

 

Tony rolled his eyes as the guard opened the reinforced steel door. Wade looked even worse up close.

 

"It's okay," said Tony quietly. "I'm going to take this off now."

 

Wade didn't even bother with a sarcastic comment. He just turned his head to the side and Tony inserted the metal rod. The collar fell from Wade's neck with a dull clunk.

 

"How do you feel?" asked Tony.

 

The question was largely unnecessary. As soon as the collar fell from Wade's neck, he leaned his head back, closing his eyes as a rush of color returned to his face. He got to his feet and was quite steady as he glared out at the guards, flipping them his middle finger. "Fuck you guys," he said. Then he turned to Tony, puzzlement on his face. "Why are you here? What's going on? Is this a prison break? You forgot to kill the guards."

 

Tony smirked. "You’re out,” he said. “We’ll explain later.”

 

Wade cocked his head to the side, then saw Peter through the glass. "You brought the kid?!"

 

Wade walked out as Peter rushed forward. Peter reached out his hand to shake Wade's, and Wade rolled his eyes and pulled Peter to him for a bone-crushing hug. "Come on, we can hug, we're definitely there," he said.

 

Peter returned the hug, seemingly at a loss for words.

 

"Someone want to tell me what's going on?" said Wade as he ruffled Peter’s hair.

 

"Full pardons are being given to anyone with enhanced abilities if they help," said Peter, his voice muffled against Wade’s chest.

 

"Help? Help with what?"

 

Peter pulled away and opened his mouth to respond but Tony shook his head. "We'll have plenty of time to talk in the helicopter."

 

Wade, Tony, Steve, and Peter left the raft, Wade in ridiculously high spirits. "I seriously thought I was going to _die_ in there.”

 

Peter kept looking at Wade as if to check that he was really there.

 

"Here's the deal," said Steve somberly. "Thanos has come to Earth."

 

"Who?" said Wade, befuddled.

 

"He's a Titan," said Tony.

 

"He's seriously  _evil_ ," supplied Peter.

 

"I have no idea what that means," said Wade.

 

For the next half an hour, Steve, Tony, and Peter talked over each other, telling Wade all about the invasion, about the Chitauri forces and Thanos's unbelievable might.

 

"Looks pretty bad for the human race right now," Steve said seriously. "They just passed the motion for pardons last week--"

 

"It was meant for Cap and the others who stood against the accords," said Peter. "But the way it was written, it applied to you, too!"

 

"I _may_ have ensured that," added Tony wryly.

 

Wade started to laugh maniacally. "You guys got me out on a technicality of a pardon meant for _Captain America_?!"

 

“This doesn’t mean we agree with your methods,” said Steve harshly.

 

Wade laughed even harder at that.

 

Tony, Peter, and even Steve eventually gave in and joined the hysterical laughter of the masked mercenary even as the helicopter carried them to a peril that only a portion of them could realistically hope to survive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, ok, I admit the "epilogue" sort of contains another "encounter" so maybe I cheated a little. :P 
> 
> I'd love to hear your thoughts on the ending/the story in general. Thanks for reading!


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